WSOP Day 11 & 12 Recap: Kost and Bui Pick Up Bracelets; Beyne Clashes With Hellmuth

WSOP Day 11 & 12 Recap: Kost and Bui Pick Up Bracelets; Beyne Clashes With Hellmuth

WSOP Day 11 & 12 recap sees the relatively inexperienced duo of Nick Kost and Todd Bui pick up their first bracelets; Phil Hellmuth and Vladimir Geshkenbein clashing in the $3k; Davidi Kitai on the verge of another bracelet; and a new record set in the Seniors event.

WSOP Day 11 & 12 Recap: Kost and Bui Pick Up Bracelets; Beyne Clashes With HellmuthWhen you want to look at the ‘Tale of the Tape’ the Hendon Mob database is the place you venture, and when I went through the motions before the final table of Event #14: $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Low got underway, Nick Kost seemed to have both a height and reach disadvantage.

Kost had only cashed three times in live tournaments, and no recorded instances in the past three years. Life wouldn’t get any easier, either, with the former World Champion Greg Raymer, bracelet holder Konstantin Puchkov and the reigning champion, Calen McNeil, all making the final table.

Both Puchkov and Raymer would depart in ninth, and seventh respectively, but McNeil’s push to go back-to-back was one of the most impressive feats you are likely to see all year.

History would not be rewritten; however, after McNeil’s reign ended in fourth place, and it was the eventual winner Kost who stamped on his final breath rivering a wheel against the man known as ‘Big Wheel’.

The title was secured after Kost ousted Kal Raichura in heads-up action.

Final Standings

1st – Nick Kost – $283,275

2nd. Kal Raichura – $175,300

3rd. Jim Bucci – $109,678

4th. Calen McNeil – $79,608

5th. Alex Luneau – $58,769

6th. Steve Chanthabouasy – $44,055

7th. Greg Raymer – $33,510

8th. Adam Coats – $25,832

9th. Konstantin Puchkov – $20,181

Todd Bui Wins Event #16: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball

Kost isn’t the only relatively inexperienced player to win a bracelet in the past few days after Todd Bui did likewise in Event #16: $1,500 Triple Draw Lowball.

348 players entered the baby 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball event, and Bui defeated ‘The Captain’ Tom Franklin in heads -up action to take the $124,510 first prize – by far the biggest of his career.

Franklin, who has cashed 39 times in WSOP events, was searching for his second WSOP bracelet; but couldn’t leap over that final hurdle when it mattered most.

Final Standings

1st – Todd Bui – $124,510

2nd. Tom Franklin – $76,943

3rd. David Bell – $49,944

4th. Vladimir Shchemelev – $33,388

5th. Aaron Steury – $22,935

6th. David Gee – $16,170

7th. Kevin Iacofano – $11,698

8th. Ismael Bojan – $11,698

9th. Don Nguyen – $8,672

The $3k Wonder Show

Fans of the action on the WSOP live stream, and PokerNews Live Updates, were subjected to a real treat as Event #15: $3,000 Six-Handed NLHE reached it’s heads up phase.

Phil Hellmuth was on another amazing run, but it was his clash with the former PKR Pro Vladimir ‘Beyne’ Geshkenbein that set tongues wagging around the poker community.

In one particular hand, Hellmuth opened to 37k, from the cutoff, Davidi Kitai called in the small blind, before Beyne moved all-in from the big blind. Hellmuth made the call and Kitai folded leaving a showdown with Beyne at risk of elimination.

Beyne asked Hellmuth what he had, and Hellmuth said, “ace three.”

‘You’re good,’ said Beyne before slow rolling with [Ah] [Kc] and then continuing to belittle Hellmuth as the dealer placed the flop, turn and river on the board.

“You gotta show some class when you win one, kid,” Said Hellmuth.

“I’m not classy,” said Beyne.

“I’m going to bust you. I promise you that. Look me in the eyes; I’m going to bust you. Said Hellmuth.

That premonition didn’t come true, but Hellmuth would outlast his Russian opponent finishing 8th to his 10th.

The tournament ended with the Triple Crown winner, Davidi Kitai, and Gordon Vayo neck and neck in heads-up action; Kitai showing he has more moves than a bowl of jelly with two quite magnificent queen high calls in pots against Vayo and Anthony Ruberto.

Event #17: Seniors Event $1,000 NLHE

For the third consecutive year, on the bounce, the $1k Seniors event attracted more than 4,000 players.

4,425 to be exact – a new record for the event – and by the end of the second day of action only 32 were left.

Leading the way was Kevin Detienne with 988k, but there were a few well-known faces left in the field.

The former November Niner, Dennis Phillips, was the runner-up in this event in 2012 and he was still in the field with 613,000 chips. WSOP bracelet holder, Dan Heimiller, bagged up 613,000; and the former Aussie Millions and Late Night Poker winner, Peter Costa, bagged up 168,800 chips.

$627,462 awaits the winner in that one.